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Infant Acne: Knowing the Facts
By Acne Free | August 3, 2007
If you are a new parent then you will know exactly how worrying every little mark which comes up on your baby’s skin can be. One particularly common problem which causes great worry for new parents is infant acne.
Now infant acne is a common problem, but that does not make it any less worrying when you are witnessing it for the first time. So just what is infant acne and how exactly should you treat it?
Recognizing Infant Acne
Infant acne is usually easily recognisable by little red bumps which come up all over your baby’s face. They tend to appear around the same time that gas production is at its peak and it can look particularly worrying, though it usually causes little to no distress for the baby. The thing that confuses many parents is why their baby has suddenly developed this problem. Was it something they did? Should they have kept their baby cleaner? The answer to that is no and whilst it is common to believe that your baby’s acne is your fault, it is simply just a common occurrence.
The reason that the acne does appear in infants, is because hormones are switched from the mother’s body to the child’s body during the last stages of child birth. These hormones are sent to help the baby in several ways such as maturing the lungs. However, they can also stimulate the oil glands of your baby and that is when too much oil is produced and they start to develop infant acne.
How to Treat Infant Acne
Usually infant acne lasts until your baby is around 4-6 months old. During these months it tends to come and go and really it needs no treatment. The great thing about infant acne in comparison to other types of acne is that it clears up on its own accord, though it may come back and affect a person later on in life.
If you do want to try and help your baby, then you can always try using a mild baby soap and water to cleanse the baby’s face once per day. This will simply help to keep the area clean and therefore the oil will be less likely to clog up and block the pores which could make the problem worse.
The main thing to remember is that you should not use any oils or lotions. These will only aggravate the condition. Plain water and gentle baby soap is the preferred method of treating the problem, though really even they aren’t needed in most cases.
If you find that the acne is lasting longer than it should, it would be a good idea to talk to a doctor. They will be able to give the baby medication if needed, or advise you on what you should do next. Overall infant acne is nothing to worry about and it does affect most babies. Just use plain water or a little mild baby soap to cleanse the face every day and if the problem persists then you can consult your doctor.
Topics: Infant Acne |
October 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Of course as new parents we sometimes over react to even the smallest problems with our new babies.